Continuous Enrollment
University-wide graduate education policy requires students to register every fall and spring term to maintain active status. If students do not continuously enroll the University will change their status from ‘active’ to ‘discontinued.’
If a student is discontinued they will need to re-apply for admission and pay the required application fee.
Ways and Means to Avoid Being Discontinued
- Remain enrolled on campus and/or online for Fall and Spring term until you complete your program. Work with your program area faculty and academic advisers to explore different options.
- Request a Leave of Absence (LOA) by completing the UM 1758 – Leave of Absence Request form. Students who experience circumstances that prevent them from maintaining active student should request a leave of absence. Students must complete a leave of absence form that specifies the term(s) and year(s) of the leave. A student can take a single or multiple LOAs during their program. However, the approved LOAs cannot exceed two academic years. If possible, the LOA should be submitted prior to the beginning of the term, but not later than the tenth day of the term.
- Request reinstatement from LOA by completing the UM 1759 – Leave of Absence Reinstatement Request. [Request must be submitted two months prior to the start of the term in which the student intends to return].
- Register for GRAD 999. M.Ed students will be able to register for GRAD 999. GRAD 999 is a zero-credit, zero-tuition, zero financial aid registration option intended for graduate students who must register to meet the University’s registration requirement but this option can only be used twice. More details can be found at One Stop.
International students are strongly encouraged to confer with the International Student & Scholar Services (ISSS) office if they are considering GRAD 999 registration. Again, CEHD graduate students are limited to only TWO registration terms of GRAD 999.
Time Limit for Completion
All requirements for the master’s degree must be completed and the degree awarded within five calendar years [check with your licensure/degree program area faculty advisor, as this time limit can vary by program] after initial enrollment in the graduate program. Students who are unable to complete the degree within the time limit due to extraordinary circumstances may petition for an extension of up to 12 months. Students must obtain the approval of their teacher education and faculty advisers by submitting a petition (see “Petitions” section).
Students who have been terminated under such circumstances may apply for readmission to the program; however, readmission is not guaranteed. If readmitted, the student would most likely need to complete the program requirements in place at the time of readmission, which may lead to additional coursework.
Readmission
Students whose active student status has been discontinued and who wish to resume graduate work must seek readmission to their graduate program or to another graduate program. Readmission is not guaranteed, and colleges and programs may add conditions to the readmission (e.g., course grades older than a specified number of years may not be included in the degree plan).
Contact your M.Ed. adviser for information about how to apply for readmission.
Change of Degree Objective
Currently enrolled graduate students who wish to change or add a degree objective (e.g., change license area or simultaneously pursue an additional license) must formally request the change or addition of degree objective. Although most of the Initial License areas cannot be combined and/or completed simultaneously, there are a few exceptions. Contact your M.Ed. adviser to determine if this is an option for your license area.
Similarly, if you begin your license program and determine that it’s not a good fit for your career or personal goals, contact your M.Ed. adviser and/or the CEHD Career Services office to discuss your options.
Leave of Absence and Reinstatement
More information and the appropriate forms for both the Leave of Absence and the Leave of Absence Reinstatement
Students may need to interrupt their enrollment for reasons they cannot control. A formal leave of absence provides students the opportunity to return to the University under the rules and policies in effect when they left and without affecting their time to degree. It also allows the University the opportunity to counsel students about actions they must take to be reinstated upon the expiration of the leave. An approved leave of absence may not exceed two academic years, and the time on leave will not be counted toward the time to degree. However, note that license requirements are set by the state of Minnesota, and students must comply with the standards in place at the time of their license application, even if they have been granted a leave of absence.
Leave of absence requests must be filed in the Dean’s Office no later than the tenth day of either fall or spring semester. After this deadline, only requests from students who have experienced an emergency or unforeseen circumstances will be considered. Examples of an emergency would be an unexpected medical emergency or illness, or death in the family. Initial Licensure Program/M.Ed students should have their teacher education adviser/faculty adviser and DGS sign the LOA form before sending to the Dean’s office in 104 Burton, via this address: cehdgrad@umn.edu.
Reinstatement: Students with a College- approved leave of absence are eligible for reinstatement if they notify their College via the appropriate reinstatement form prior to the term in which they intend to enroll, they enroll no later than the term immediately following the expired leave (excluding summer), and they return to the same major and degree objective.
Readmission: Students who have not been continually enrolled and who did not file a Leave of Absence, or students with a Leave of Absence who do not return by the term following their Leave, must be readmitted through the Office of Graduate Admissions. Full instructions are available on the Graduate School website.
In some cases, the Office of Graduate Admissions will request that students submit official transcripts as part of the readmission process. This will occur if the scanned transcripts on file cannot be verified as official.
Petitions
There are two types of petitions used for the specific situations listed below:
The Graduate Registration Exception Request
This form is used to request class additions, drops, or swaps after a deadline; changes to grading basis or class credit numbers after a deadline; or registration for more than 18 credits during a term. Some of these actions may require evidence of extenuating circumstances. The form is located online in the Registration Forms section on One Stop.
Once submitted, the form will be routed to the appropriate instructor/department for review and decision.
Academic Policy Petition
Used for requesting acceptance of transfer credits, extension to the time limit for completing program, and course substitutions for degree and/or licensure requirements. The form is located on the One Stop forms website under the Registration Forms section.
This form is only in a paper version (not electronic) so it will need to be filled out and printed. Obtain departmental and/or faculty recommendations as appropriate for the petition type and attach any necessary documentation.
For requests to have coursework from outside institutions applied to your degree plan, you must have an official transcript (original in a sealed envelope) attached to the petition. If your faculty adviser needs to review your transcript before signing off on the departmental recommendation, please ask them to sign the back of the official transcript envelope verifying that it was sealed at the point of review, and include this signed envelope and the transcript with your petition.
With either petition, you will be notified through your UMN email regarding the final decision.